Slovenian Catholic Girl Guides and Boy Scouts Association

Združenje slovenskih katoliških skavtinj in skavtov (ZSKSS, Slovenian Catholic Girl Guides and Boy Scouts Association) is the national Guiding organization of Slovenia. It is an independent, voluntary, youth, educational and open Slovenian Scout and Guide association which was established in 1990 taking into account pre-Second World War Slovenian Scouting and was built up on experience and values from other scout and guide associations especially AGESCI (Associazione Guide e Scout Cattolici Italiani) who helped establishing the concept of the organizations activity (structure, education, programme).

ZSKSS is a member of WAGGGS (WAGGGS).

Affiliated to ZSKSS is the Slovenska Zamejska Skavtska Organizacija (SZSO) serving Slovenian Scouts in Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy, which is also affiliated to the Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani.^[1]

For individual members of ZSKSS, Zveza tabornikov Slovenije, the Slovenian WOSM member, guarantees the right of personal WOSM-membership.

History

Main article at History of Slovenian Scouting

The history of Scouting in Slovenia dates to when Slovenia was a part of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and possibly back to 1915. In 1922, a meeting of Sokol, an important political and sporting movement in Yugoslavia, took place in Ljubljana, and Bosnian and Serbian Scouts attended. Scouting was officially established in Slovenia in October 1922, when a large number of Scout groups in Slovenia contributed to the establishment of the Scout Parish for Croatia and Slovenia, founded in Osijek. The Slovenia Scout Region was established in early 1923 in Ljubljana. The first Slovene Scout and Guide camp was organized during the summer of 1923 at a Slovene alpine resort. Scouting in Slovenia was officially dissolved on June 10, 1941 because of World War II. Just prior to the dissolution, there were 1,380 members of the Slovene Scout Organization.

Scouting in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was coopted by the Tito government in 1950, at which time WOSM membership was forfeited.

Slovene Scouting continued in exile, at first in refugee camps, and afterwards in Argentina and Canada, and in the Slovene communities in nearby Gorizia and Trieste, where Slovene refugees found new homes. The Movement also revived among the Slovene ethnic groups in neighboring countries: The Slovene Carinthian Scouts (in 1957) in Austria (today part of the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs); the Slovene Scouts of Trieste (Slovenske Zamejske Skavtske Organizacije (SZSO) Trst) in 1951 for boys and in 1958 for girls; and the Slovene Scouts of Gorizia (SZSO - Slovenski goriški skavti), in 1963 for girls and 1964 for boys.

In 1984, a secondary school student from Ljubljana, Peter Lovšin, became acquainted with the Scout Movement. He decided to begin apolitical Scouting in Ljubljana. In the summer of 1985 he went to camp with Scouts of Gorizia, and in 1986 he made the Scout Promise as one of their rank. In the same year he gathered a group of young people around him in one of the Catholic parishes of Ljubljana, with assistance from Scouts of Trieste and Gorizia. The group was growing and in autumn 1988 moved to another parish of Ljubljana. By the Saint George festival in 1989, 12 boys and girls made the Scout Promise, and by 1990, there were 21 Girl Guides and 18 Boy Scouts. The Catholic Scout Movement began to spread all over Slovenia. On March 31, 1990, the Združenje slovenskih katoliških skavtinj in skavtov (ZSKSS) was founded. The first legal Scout Promises were made by 29 Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, in a suburb of Ljubljana on May 20 of that year. Officially the ZSKSS was registered on Sunday, October 22, 1992.

In 1996 ZSKSS was accepted as an associate member of WAGGGS. ZSKSS received full membership in WAGGGS in 1999.

Program

The primary purpose of the Association is to contribute to the full physical, mental, spiritual and social development of young people so that they can become people of strong character, responsible citizens and members of local, national and international communities. It has the status of an association of public interest in the field of education and the status of a national youth organization.

Their mission is realize through the following activities:

• Implementation of the program by local units (regular weekly activities, camps, winter camps and local projects)
• Organization of training courses for youth leaders and workers
• Organization of outdoor activities and activities related to environmental protection,
• Organization of activities to promote healthy lifestyle and youth health,
• Organization of educational and training activities,
• Advocacy for young people
• Organization of sporting, cultural and entertainment activities,
• Organization of humanitarian and socially-oriented projects,
• Organization of promotional activities of Scouting,
• Publishing journals and other publications,
• Cooperation with other organizations and relevant government departments and institutions.

In addition to volunteers, the organization has five full-time employees (a secretary and four professional workers). Their offices in Ljubljana are in a long-term lease and they have another long-term lease at the Slovenia Forest Service for a house in Kočevski rog. There they have the Environmental Scout Centre.

The organization has a strong network in local communities and thus a large range of target groups, and at the same time a great support apparatus of volunteers across Slovenia.

Sections

The association works in four age sections:

• Bobri/Bobrovke (Beaver Scouts, both genders) - ages 6 to 7
• Volčiči/Volkuljice (Cub Scouts; both genders) - ages 7 to 11
• Vodnice/Izvidniki in (Girl Guides/Boy Scouts) - ages 11 to 16
• Popotnice/Popotniki (Rangers/Rovers) - ages 16 to 21

Mottos

The Beaver Scout Motto is Trden jez, translating as Solid dam in Slovenian. The Cub Scout Motto is Kar najbolje, translating as Best as possible in Slovenian. The Scout Motto is Bodi pripravljen!, translating as Be Prepared in Slovenian. The Rover Scout Motto is Služiti, translating as To serve in Slovenian.

Scout Oath

Pri svoji časti obljubljam, da si bom z božjo pomočjo prizadeval/a služiti Bogu in domovini, pomagati svojemu bližnjemu in izpolnjevati skavtske zakone.

On my honor I promise that with divine help I will conscientiously serve God and my native land, help other people and obey the Guide/Scout Law.

Scout Law

• Skavt si šteje v čast, da si pridobi zaupanje
  A Guide's/Scout's honor is to be trusted.
• Skavt je zvest Bogu in domovini
  A Guide/Scout is loyal to God and homeland.
• Skavt pomaga bližnjemu in naredi vsak dan vsaj eno dobro delo
  A Guide/Scout helps others and does at least one Good Turn every day.
• Skavt je prijatelj vsakomur in vsem skavtom in skavtinjam brat
  A Guide/Scout is a friend to all, and a sister/brother to every other Scout.
• Skavt je plemenit
  A Guide/Scout is couteous.
• Skavt spoštuje naravo in v njej vidi božje delo
  A Guide/Scout respects nature seeing in it the work of God.
• Skavt uboga svoje starše in predstojnike ter vestno opravlja svoje dolžnosti
  A Guide/Scout obeys her/his parents and her/his superiors and conscientiously performs her/his duries.
• Skavt si v težavah žvinga in poje
  A Guide/Scout whistles and sings in difficulties.
• Skavt je delaven in varčen
  A Guide/Scout is hard-working and thrifty.
• Skavt je čist v mislih, besedah in dejanjih
  A Guide/Scout is clean in thought, word, and deed.

Sources

• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Bureau (1997), Trefoil Round the World. Eleventh Edition 1997. ISBN 0-900827-75-0
• Slovenian Catholic Girl Guides and Boy Scouts Association homepage, retrieved 6.4.2016

References

External links

• Slovenian Catholic Girl Guides and Boy Scouts Association homepage